Of Iron and Books
by the sleepyhead
Summary: Because sometimes, two things that look like they never go well together, can actually be the most perfect match. One-shot series, each chapter based on a word of how they are with each other or individually. Summary stinks
1. Insecure

**Yo.**

I actually don't have much to put here... Let's just say I have a lot of free time but not that good ideas. Anyway as said in the summary, each chapter is based on a word/adjective of how they're like towards each other or as an individual. Doesn't occur during any specific point of time in the series as far as I'm concerned. If it is, I'll tell ya beforehand. Oh, also, I seriously suck at making up titles, so do excuse me.

Apologies if they aren't in character sometimes. I'll try not to leave this dump hanging, too.

Enjoy! Maybe. **PS - Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, not me.**

* * *

**_Insecure_**

It was weird for her to think about the matter right out of the blue.

The blue-haired bookworm sat in her seat at a table, slumped, with a preoccupied Gajeel beside her munching on scraps of metal. More like nails he took out from the table. They had been all close and comfortable with each other ever since the Tenroujima incident, even since before that actually, and let's just say everyone knew they were officially each other's to keep. Even Jet and Droy didn't really bother to try and win her heart anymore, but they still hung out together like old times.

Back to the matter at hand. It had been such an uneventful, boring day at the guild - brawls and chaos weren't much of an excitement anymore - and Levy couldn't help it as she scanned around the large room, throwing guick, friendly glances at her guild members.

Her brown eyes landed on Mira, the ever lovely bartender, as the S-class wizard kept away mugs and kept Cana company as the brunette at the bar chugged down her barrel of beer. She glanced between the two, looking them down, and ducked her head slightly.

_Mira-san and Cana are so pretty, _she sighed mentally, wishing for a second that she had an attractive body like theirs. Her eyes darted over to Juvia, who sat beside Gray at their table, and she couldn't help but look her down, too. She pouted at the sight of the rain woman's chest, before puffing her cheeks out slightly.

Then she turned to Erza, who sat opposite of them. No words had needed to be spoken. Erza looked great in _anything _- plus, she was strong and naturally beautiful. She chewed on her lower lip.

Last of all, her gaze came upon her dear friend Lucy. She watched silently as the blonde cheerfully made her way over to the same table, seating down beside Natsu. She didn't have to look her down; just the sight of her features alone made her envious of her best friend. Lucy had everything - a bright spirit, a perfect body and a cute face. Many guys must've given a shot at her to try and ask her out, she bet mentally.

She was jealous of the Celestial Spirit mage. Not in the way girls usually did and picked up fights afterwards, but in a longing, admiring way. Lucy had almost everything. What feature did she have that anyone at all could find attractive?

Levy shrank further into her seat, an exasperated sigh leaving her lips, catching the attention of the Iron Dragon Slayer beside her.

Gajeel threw an arm onto the seat behind her head, leaning down to her slightly. "Oi, what's the matter, Shrimp?"

"Nothing," Levy murmured, playing with her fingers absentmindedly.

"We both know that you're one hell of a bad liar. Spill it."

"Hey, Gajeel, can I ask you something?" she countered back with her own question, one that had been bugging her for quite some time.

"Tch. What?"

"Why me?"

The question caught him completely off-guard, and to that he drew back slightly, staring at her, confused. She'd never asked such a question before. The bookworm met his gaze. "The hell do you mean, 'why you'?"

A faint pink dusted her cheeks slightly. "I mean, why did you choose to be with me, when there are so many other girls out there?"

"Well, why the fuck not?"

Levy was slightly taken aback by his straightforward answer, if not a bit flattered. "N-No! I... I mean..."

"Just spit it out already, Shrimp."

She sighed. "I'm not like Mira-san, or Cana, or Erza, or Juvia, and absolutely nowhere near Lu-chan." She pulled her gaze down to her hands. "They're so... Well, they have those perfect, flawless bodies. They're insanely beautiful." Then she held her hands out in front of her. "And then there's me - I'm so _small. _I'm nothing compared to any of them. I'm just... well... a _shrimp. _I don't have anything amazing for people to look at."

"There's that other dragon slayer girl, she's small," Gajeel drawled out flatly.

"She's young, Gajeel. I'm pretty sure she'll be just like Lu-chan and the rest when she grows up. Whereas I am not... growing in any way at all.

"Which links back to you." Her voice continued in a smaller, softer tone with a slight hint of sadness. Her eyes dimmed. "I've always thought I wasn't good enough for you."

Gajeel slammed a hand onto the table, but Levy was unfazed. "What the fuck are you saying, Shrimp?"

"I'm saying that maybe you deserve someone better."

"To hell with that!" he snarled, before shutting his eyes close and dragged out a sigh as he tried to cool himself down. He ran a hand through his raven hair.

He poked her cheek with a finger. "You know what you are right now? You're- uh... I-something..."

"...Insecure?"

"Yeah, that. You're fucking insecure right now," he said matter-of-factly. Levy ducked her head. But Gajeel reached up to gently grab her chin with his forefinger and thumb and turned her head to face him. Her face was scrunched up in a pout, blushing slightly, his scarlet gaze boring down into her eyes.

"Listen here, Shrimp," he said, his voice softer than usual. "I don't give a single fuck if you're not like Erza or Bunny Girl over there. I don't care if you're small - I actually like you better this way, somehow. And anyway, if you're all big and curvy like them, you're gonna attract unwanted attention from strangers. I don't want that, you understand?

"You're mine. I don't want them to go stealin' looks at you. You're all mine."

The slender bluenette blushed furiously at his last statement, taking in the full sincerity and honesty he sounded and how serious he was.

"Gajeel..."

"And," he cut her off, tugging on her chin, "don't you ever fucking dare say that I deserve someone better ever again." His voice was low and gentle as he spoke only for her ears to listen. "You're all I need. You're more than enough for me, Shrimp."

Before Levy could say anything, he ducked his head and planted his lips on hers. Completely oblivious to the ever-growing chaos around them, he leaned into her as she shyly grabbed the front of his dark shirt, pulling him closer. She squeaked quietly when she felt his tongue push against her lips demandingly. And then-

_SMACK. _A chair was flung right at Gajeel, throwing him out of his seat, leaving a blushing and flustered Levy in a daze. She pursed her lips when the Iron Dragon Slayer rose from the broken wood, a dark aura radiating off his being as he shook with anger.

"WHO THE FUCK THREW THAT?!" he yelled, merely dodging a table. A vein popped out from his forehead, clearly having lost his mood, and dove right into the chaotic fight and started beating the hell out of everyone he laid his hands on.

Whilst then, the blue-haired mage sat with a new smile on her face as she looked down at her hands once again. His words repeated themselves in her head, and she couldn't help but smile wider. She looked up again at Gajeel, who threw a punch at Gray, and a bead of sweat formed on her head. But still she smiled. _Suddenly, today's not so bad afterall, _she noted mentally.

"Thank you, Gajeel," she whispered under her breath. "You're mine, too."


	2. Desperate

_**Desperate**_

He couldn't stop replaying his 'conversation' with Lily he had just about ten minutes ago. The cat's words wouldn't leave his head. It was impossible to forget any of it at all, and it didn't even last five minutes. Maybe.

_"Yo."_

_He didn't get the same gesture in return from the Exceed, though. "Don't you 'yo' me, Gajeel."_

He ran and ran and ran as fast as his feet could pump beneath him on the cold, cold ground, but it felt so frustratingly slow, as if he was running on wet sand. He ran as if he was running for his life, or to protect a friend - but this was something, rather some_one _so very dear to his heart. So dear that losing her had to be the first thing on his list of fears - and Gajeel was barely afraid of anything at all. He gritted his teeth as he made a sharp turn, skidding around a corner.

_"You seem moody, Lily-"_

_"Oh really? Or perhaps I'm just really pissed off at you right now - so pissed I don't know where to start with you."_

The Iron Dragon Slayer barged right into the doors of Fairy Tail's guild, not wasting a single second as his eyes scanned over the sea of guild members and chaos for the sight of a certain blunette. He kept glancing back at Wendy and Juvia, but they weren't the blue-haired mage he was looking for, and it started to frustrate him.

_"What the fuck did I do?"_

Gajeel ran over to Jet and Droy. "You idiots seen Levy?"

_"What did you do? You tell me! What were _you _doing this morning under the big, old oak tree?"_

"What? No, we-"

He ran over to the only Celestial Spirit mage of the guild, pulling her away from her little group of friends, grabbing her shoulders and gaining her attention completely. Lucy stared back into his scarlet eyes, shocked and horrified, trying to break free of his grasp but he took no notice.

_"Noth-"_

_"Nothing? You were there with a girl that I can bet none of us knew existed, and you still have the guts to tell me you were doing _nothing_?! Are you serious?"_

"Where's Levy?"

_"Mind your own business, damn cat-"_

At the sound of her best friend's name, Lucy cocked her head to the side, confused and slightly worried. "I -"

"Was she here?"

_Lily raised his voice, nearly yelling. "Tell me, Gajeel! What were you doing? With that girl? You're all talk, aren't you? Then talk! Open your mouth and tell me! What were you doing?!"_

_"Man, you're fucking noisy today!"_

"N-No, I haven't seen her at all, but I think she's back at the girls' d-"

"Thanks," Gajeel huffed, letting her go and was gone in a blink of an eye.

The blonde was completely stunned. When did Gajeel ever _thanked _her? Or anyone, as far as she knew? Worry tainted her features. _It has something to do with Levy, that's for sure, _she mused. And she'd never seen the desperation in Gajeel's eyes ever before. He looked _scared_. But before she could think any further about it all, her thoughts were distracted by the warmth that engulfed her hand as Natsu grabbed it and pulled her to the request board.

_"Can't say it, huh? Then let me tell you. You were kissing a damn girl that I _know _you have never met before. Why in the world do you have your lips on someone that's not Levy? Why the hell did you do it?"_

_"What's the big deal? It's not the first time. I ain't hurtin' nobody. "_

_"'What's the big deal'? You're not hurting anyone? _Anyone_? Then what about Levy? Did you think?"_

He was still running, each step bringing him closer to the girls' dorm, Fairy Hills. Sure enough, his sharp sense of smell caught her scent a few meters away before he'd even reached - she smelled of old books and ink, and for some reason or another Gajeel loved it. He paused in front of the building, slightly out of breath, and spotted the window on the second floor where he saw a book being flung across. He pursed his lips. _That's her._

Gajeel stepped into the building, not giving a single thought about whether there was anyone else there at the moment. He ran up the stairs and pricked his ears, listening intently for any sound at all and any hint that might bring him to her.

He heard a small, faint sobbing.

_"I-"_

_"Did you think how it could have hurt her, Gajeel? Did you spare a thought?"_

The dragon slayer walked up to her door, a hand already on the knob, but hesitated. He tried turning slightly, and at the knob that refused to turn, he knew it was locked. Of course it was. He knocked once softly.

"Shrimp?" he called out quietly.

_"It's not like she'll get mad at me or anything. The Shrimp's got a soft little heart; she forgives everyone. She'll forgive me - like she always does. She loves me."_

_"And you took her for granted?"_

The sobbing quietened down, but the young maiden on the other side didn't say a word. He heard everything; he heard how she was choking back on her tears, the small squeaks she always made when she tried not to cry loudly, even her chattering teeth as sobs broke throughout her body. He tried again, and when she didn't respond, he tried yet again, swallowing the lump in his throat.

_"You knew she'd forgive you, so you did the same thing again? Like all those other times she'd caught you kissing someone else?"_

_"She forgave me everytime, didn't she? She didn't get mad at me. She didn't cry. What's the big fuss?"_

"Sh-... Levy. Levy, let me in."

"Go away," he heard her say in a small, broken voice. The way she sounded so miserable didn't sit well in his stomach.

_"What the _hell_? What do you know? Maybe she didn't get mad. But did you know she cries everytime she sees a girl in your arms and worse yet, you're kissing her? Did you know? You wouldn't believe the things she told me, what she thought about it. You know what's the bad part? She always tells me that you wouldn't do it again, because she trusts you like hell to not break her heart again, she tells me you'd change and stop because you loved her as much as she loved you and you wouldn't hurt her._

_"And at the sound of things so far on your side, Gajeel, I'm starting to think you don't love her and mean it."_

"Open the door."

The fact that _Gajeel _was actually talking to her in a quiet, begging tone could have surprised the pants off anyone. He bit his lower lip. He had never been like this. Never. And to think that it was because of what he did to her made it all the more worse than it already was.

_"I don't love her? Like fuck if you know! Why did she even tell you all that? Why, of all people, did she tell a cat and not at least Bunny Girl?"_

"I don't want to see you. Get lost!"

_"Because she needs someone who wasn't afraid of this idiot who doesn't think, and knock some sense into that thick-metal piece of shit you have for a brain so that you'd stop doing things mindlessly that would hurt her over and over again!"_

_That shut him up._

That was a first. He leaned his forehead against the door, a hand still up, knocking again softly. But her answer was always the same, so he stood, defeated and guilty, and desperate to get her back. He replayed the incident that morning for the upteenth time and again, pointed out mentally his own mistake.

_"She saw you, you know. She came running to our house, to _me_, crying her heart out because she saw what you did _again _for the hundredth time. She told me she was dead tired of it, she didn't want to see you for a week but probably couldn't hold back that long because she loves you!"_

Gajeel knew her better than anyone else, better than Bunny Girl, and he should have known how small and fragile she was, inside and out. She'd told him once, how she didn't really had a guy to actually love before, ever, because she was scared to give her heart to anyone, in fear that they'll break it. Blame the romance novels, she'd said with a laugh. And the fact that she'd entrusted him her heart to keep it safe made him feel like kicking himself numb.

Even worse, this was Gajeel Redfox we're talking about. The man who had single-handedly destroyed her guild once, who had shackled her nearly-lifeless body to a tree, who had never been loved before. Sure, Metalicana was an exception, but it was different with Levy.

_"And the fact that you can still tell me you actually love her ticks me off! What kind of guy who loves someone would do the same thing that hurts them even when knowing they'd forgive you no matter what?! The worst kind of guys! Like you!"_

He'd broken the heart of the first ever girl who had accepted and loved him, and how that fucked him up inside.

_"So? What are you gonna do now? Just sit here on your ass and do nothing while she's all alone crying?"_

_"...Where is she?"_

_"Like hell I'd tell you. Find her yourself. It's your mistake. Now get lost."_

Gajeel turned and leaned his back against the door, mentally exhausted, and pushed himself down to the floor. He wasn't leaving until he could see her again, he promised himself.

An hour passed, then two. Then he found himself dozing off as he waited.

* * *

The bluenette stifled a yawn, wiping at her swollen, red eyes. Man, she was tired of crying. Dusk had came and went, but still she hadn't heard any of her friends coming back. Levy got up from her spot at her door, stretching her muscles, before going to wash her face and get a drink. She tidied the place a bit here and there, rearranging the books she'd thrown around out of her miserable frustration, before tiptoeing back to the door, wanting to check if the coast was clear.

She turned the knob and swung the door open, and a half-asleep Gajeel tumbled in by her feet. Her heart paused for a second.

"Ugh," he grunted, his voice low and husky from the short nap, and his lazy eyes widened when realization finally hit him in the head. She pressed her lips into a line, scowling.

Gajeel got to his feet in a blink of an eye and already had her in his iron grip, his hands finding their way around her and pulled her tight to his being. Yet she stayed silent.

"I'm sorry," she heard his mere whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't... I didn't mean it, I swear." _I've heard that a couple of times before, _she thought. Still, her tears threatened to spill once again.

"She- The damn girl just came to me out of nowhere and I tried to push her the hell away but she- she fucking _kissed _me, and I don't fucking know what the hell was wrong with me, and I just-"

He was cut off when Levy pushed against him roughly until he stood at arms' length, his arms no longer around her where they should be. He stared, wide-eyed and shocked at the young maiden, who trembled slightly and refused to meet his gaze. She held up a hand, pointing to the open door.

"Please get out."

"I..."

"_Get out_!" Fresh tears fell from her tired eyes. Levy reached up, not bothering to wipe them away, and instead reached up to bury her face in her hands.

The dragon slayer had never felt so _worthless _in his life. He could barely move himself, barely move his lips to say something, _anything _to comfort her. He finally snapped out of it.

"Fuck... No, stop crying," he murmured, pulling her into an iron grip embrace, scowling to himself. He rubbed her back, trying to calm her sobs down. "Levy, Levy stop crying."

Levy didn't try to push him away; her entire being was limp and weak in his grasp. She didn't know what to think. But she had a small, kind heart, which was a given, and she knew too well that she'd forgive him easily. And yet, at the moment, she didn't want to.

"What is wrong with you?" she cried into his shoulder, pounding her fists against his chest, but we all know it wasn't hurting anyone. "Why did you-"

Gajeel buried his face in her blue, messy hair, trying to keep his feelings in check.

"I-I just... please, don't fucking _leave _me," he drawled out quietly. And for a minute, he was scared like hell if she did, as if it was the worst thing in the entire messed-up world. "I'm fucking _sorry, _and I know that one word alone won't make up to all the times I fucked things up and hurt you, because I'm a complete jackass-"

Levy's eyes widened. He realized? He realized it all? She gnawed on her lower lip.

"And you deserve so much better than this. I promise, I _fucking promise _I won't hurt you again, and if I ever do, feel free to kick me, yell at me, whatever the hell it is you want to do to me - just please, don't fucking leave me. I need to get you back. I'm desperate."

She sniffled. "I'm so tired, Gajeel."

"I know, I know," he held her tighter. "I'm sorry, for fucking everything up - I'm sorry.""

"Okay."

He pulled back, staring at her, the small smile tugging on her lips. She was _smiling, _and how his heart skipped a beat at it. He blinked.

"The hell-"

"I forgive you." She reached up to wipe away a stray tear. "Now stop it. This isn't like you."

She smiled at him, actually _smiled _after what he'd done, and Gajeel swore he'd never been in such a _perfect _moment and standing in front of the most fucking _beautiful _girl he'd ever met. He returned it, a small smile of his own, one that she hadn't seen in a long time.

When he was clearly speechless, Levy reached out to grab his hand and tugged at it, then pulled him to her bed. She pushed him in, before joining him and taking up the space left, and draped her blanket over their bodies.

"What the hell-"

"Shut up," she muttered, cuddling up to his warmth. "I'm tired. Sleep. Now."

Gajeel wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her yet closer, burying his face into her hair and took in her scent. Man, he fucked up big-time, but to have a girl who loved him just that much had to make him the luckiest idiot in the world.

"Gajeel?"

"...Yeah?"

"You were really desperate."

He let out a small chuckle. "As if I didn't fucking know."

A minute of silence went by.

"...Shrimp?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks - for everything. Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Gahhh I think I screwed this up, it's so bloody long and draggy. And confusing, maybe. Plus the ending's done a bit lazily so I just. Man. And Gajeel seems so not-Gajeel here. _Man. _But sort of glad it's done though.

Review, maybe?


	3. Shy

_**Shy**_

Gajeel Redfox had all the qualities a strong, badass-fighter of Fairy Tail would have.

But man, who knew he was _shy_?

No one had ever expected it. That tough, manly dragonslayer - shy. Absolutely no one expected that; then Pantherlily came to the rescue.

It was just another day at the (messed-up) guild of Fairy Tail. He sat at the bar as per usual, munching on random scraps of metal, resting his iron-pierced chin in his hand. His Exceed partner sat on the bar table beside him, enjoying his kiwi juice, making conversation with Gajeel now and then. They didn't mind the silence whenever it fell, though - rather, they were much more comfortable that way.

"LEVY!"

He knew he wasn't supposed to turn immediately at the sound of her name - he _shouldn't _have, damn it, he cursed silently - and like any other day, he watched as the men of Team Shadow Gear tried to gain the bluenette's attention right as she stepped foot into the guild, bombing her with all sorts of questions.

"How's your day, Levy?"

"Are you hungry, Levy? Want me to get you something to eat?"

"Would you like me to walk you to the library later, Levy?"

"Let's go do some jobs, Levy!"

_How is that not annoying, _Gajeel thought, an eyebrow twitching in slight annoyance. _Surely the girl's tired of all that at some point._

Levy, though, simply scratched the back of her head, giving Jet and Droy a smile that made their eyes into hearts. She answered them all in one shot. "My day's good, I've eaten, thank you, it's alright and sorry, I'm kind of tired."

But then the two continued throwing questions at her, arguing in between, barely giving her a chance to say anything else. A sigh escaped her lips as she puffed out her cheeks, watching the two squabble like kids. _There goes my peaceful Tuesday, _she grumbled mentally. Levy looked up, and flushed bright pink when her eyes met scarlet ones. She stared, he stared back, and the eye-contact didn't really break for like a full two minutes when Levy blinked and gave a small, shy smile, chewing the insides of her cheek nervously.

On his side, Gajeel, ducked his head quickly and turned away to avoid her from seeing the light pink that dusted across his cheeks. He let out a dragged sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding, muttering something under his breath and was just about to stuff the remaining piece of metal when he noticed the cat smirking with an all too knowing-look.

His hand went down onto the table. "What?!"

"I didn't say anything," Lily raised an eyebrow a menacing grin.

Gajeel grumbled something once again, throwing the iron piece into his mouth, chewing with a deep scowl. He knew too well that his partner had something in his mind that he wouldn't like to know. Lily was full-time mischievous.

"So, what do you think of Levy?"

"What the hell?"

"Just answer the question. Not that hard."

Gajeel threw a look before resting his gaze on a wall. "She's okay."

"Okay? That's all?"

"What? You got a problem with that?"

Lily shrugged. "Nah. Just expected something more. Thought you'd say something along the lines of 'She's beautiful' or 'She's really smart', or maybe something like 'Shrimp's really small and stuff but I like her'," he said, mimicking the dragonslayer's deep, lazy voice.

Gajeel popped a vein, but his stomach did the world's smallest flip at Lily's last statement. He didn't say anything though - more like he had nothing to say - and reached a hand out for the drink that Mirajane had handed earlier.

"So?"

"So what?"

"You like her, don't you?"

He played it off cool. "No."

"Liar."

"Okay, that's your opinion."

Lily folded his arms. "Not an opinion. It's a fact. A pretty obvious, well-known fact."

Gajeel raised a studded eyebrow. "The hell are you saying?"

"Come on, is your head as dense as what you eat? You always turn when you hear her name. Plus there's been a lot of moments between the two of you for the past few months. Everyone's talking about it. Just admit it."

"I don't like her. There."

"Oh? Is that a blush?"

"What?! N-No!" Gajeel turned his head away, grumbling. Sure enough, he felt the warmth on his cheeks. "I don't like her - you're the dense one."

Lily was about to say something when he got smacked with realization right in the head. He smirked. "You're _shy_."

"The fuck? Only pansies are shy."

"Really?" Lily gestured to Levy with his head, who was sitting a few tables away. "Then why don't you just go over there and talk to her, eh? Or you can prove that I'm right about you being shy this second."

Gajeel spat his drink right back out, his face flaming. "W-What?! I mean - n-no. No. I'm too lazy. I like it here," he muttered hastily.

"Shy, then."

"I'm not shy!"

Lily sighed. "You and denial are best friends."

"So are you and annoying."

"Admit it. Admit that you either like her, or that you're shy, or, best of all, you can go talk to her for at least fifteen minutes and prove all of the above. You can choose only one. Take your pick before I call Happy over and tell him everything." Lily sneered. "Once he tells Natsu, the whole world will know."

"No."

"You're shy."

"No."

"Oh-so shy."

"Fucking. No."

"Who knew Gajeel was shy?"

A vein popped out. "No!"

"Definition of shy: _Gajeel_."

"I don't like her! Shut-"

"Man, you're shy!"

"I'M NOT-"

"Oi Happy!"

"OKAY, FINE, DAMN IT!"

Lily walked right infront of the raven-haired man and sat down with his arms folded, his smirk wider than ever. He cocked his head to the side as Gajeel rubbed his arm uncomfortably, looking away, his cheeks pink. His voice dropped to a low tone, hoping that no one else heard him.

"I like her, okay? Just a bit."

"What was that?"

"I like her a bit!"

"Wh-"

"Fine, goddamnit! I like her!" Gajeel hissed, grabbing hold of the Exceed, shaking him threateningly. "And if a word leaves your little mouth about it to anyone, you're flying back to Edolas."

"That's all I wanted to hear," Lily chuckled, and held up a paw. "And I promise. Anyway, if you like her then do something about it. Quit being shy."

"I'm not-"

"No, I'm serious this time. You're not doing something about your feelings for her - that's called shy with a pint of laziness, you metal-brain." His eyes darted over Gajeel's shoulder for a second before he pressed his lips into a tight line, but his eyes were amused. "Good luck."

"What the hell-"

"Ugh," he turned his attention to the once-empty seat beside him, and got his breath stuck in his throat when he saw it was _her_, the main topic of his conversation. He glanced to the spot Lily was at just seconds ago, only to find him nowhere, and cursed silently under his breath.

The bluenette sat beside him, slumped and tired, giving Mirajane a weak smile as she was handed a drink.

Gajeel swallowed as the bartender disappeared into the kitchen. "Yo."

She smiled. "Hi, Gajeel."

_Act normal, man. _"Something wrong? It ain't ladylike to sit like that, Shrimp," he teased, like he always did.

Levy sighed heavily. "I'm just tired - Jet and Droy have been really... clingy lately. I just want a day off."

"Aw, sucks to be you, huh?"

"Right now, probably yeah."

They shared a chuckle, before they found themselves talking and talking and talking like they'd been best friends since forever. They were oblivious to the small cat who was watching on quietly from the second level - the mastermind behind all this. _Should have brought a camera or something, this is priceless, _Lily snickered in his head, grinning to himself.

"Levy!"

"Aw, man..." said person sighed at the sound of her name being called. Gajeel threw her a short glance before they both turned to her teammates. She forced a smile. "Yeah?"

"Let's go somewhere together! It's a nice day out," Jet blushed slightly.

"No! Go out with me!"

"Oi! I asked first-"

"_I _thought about it first!"

_If you like her then do something about it. Quit being shy._

"Sorry, punks," Gajeel cut in, placing a hand on Levy's back and pushed her to stand, to which she did. He give them a full-fanged smile. "Shrimp's hanging out with me today."

"W-What?"

"I am...?" Levy mused, blushing furiously.

"Don't get too jealous now," Gajeel sneered jokingly, joining her side and walked to the guild doors. He held a hand up to the two in depression behind him. "See ya."

Thankful for the growing chaos in the room and hoping no one saw them leave, he sighed in relief mentally once outside the gates, and dropped his hand. _Now, Phase 2, _he thought, before biting down on his lip, realizing what he'd just thought. He gave himself a mental kick.

"This is unexpected," Levy laughed lightly, pulling Gajeel back to reality.

He shrugged nonchalantly "Eh. I was annoyed too, anyway. You owe me one," he winked.

Levy rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever - I'll give you all the nails and screws and anything made of metal from my room, okay? Then you can eat them all to your heart's content."

"If that happens, nothing in your room is gonna stand. They'll all break and you'd having nothing left but _books_. Then you'd have to sleep on them, eat them or something, make your own door with 'em," he snickered, before leaning in with a smirk. "Or, you could just crash at my place forever, doesn't sound too damn bad. We'll have _loads _of fun."

"Gajeel!" she blushed, elbowing his side, to which he dodged, laughing playfully. She puffed out her cheeks.

As they continued to chat and tease each other, they walked down the streets of Magnolia aimlessly, losing track of time. The sun began to set far in the horizon, disappearing behind the hills and tall mountains, setting the town into an orange hue. Clouds hung low high above, decorating the sky. Not much people were around, which gave them more comfort to just get along without worrying much about others.

Levy threw him a bright smile, her cheeks flushed pink, her hand brushing against his ever so slightly.

And he smirked to himself, throwing his gaze to the darkening sky.

_I'll have to thank the damn cat later._

* * *

THIS, is to make up for the previous chapter because we all know it sucked. I'm sorry. And I hope it's good enough? No? Yeah. Lower your standards further. Oh and I completed this at 4AM because man I can barely sleep anymore. Hope it was worth it :(

Maybe this could be a two-shot? I don't know? Depends, make it an exception or something. Oh I don't know.

Please review. x


	4. Caring

_**Caring**_

Gajeel hardly ever showed it - hell, he never did before - but despite what he says, does or how he looks, the guy was pretty caring; in his own little way, that is. Especially when it came to a certain blue-haired maiden.

People always thought he had a rusty piece of iron for a heart. Very funny, he'd think. Not that he gave a damn about what others thought of him - but he'd appreciate it if they'd realized he did have a heart and that he actually cared. Sometimes. And when it was somehow related to the particular Solid Script mage, he'd very much like to fucking slam their faces into a wall and leave a bloody nose because God _help _them if they thought he didn't give a shit about her, after every little thing she'd done for him.

Oh, she'd done tons. She was the first actual friend he made in the guild even after what he'd done to her. She trusted him on so many things that'd happened before. This and that, this and that - and if he didn't care even the slightest bit, something was wrong with him.

So it started to really, _really _bother him when Levy went missing one day.

Jet and Droy had saved him the trouble to ask. They scampered over to the bar, looking mighty worried and anxious.

"Mira, have you seen Levy?"

The pale-haired beauty looked surprised to see them. Too surprised. "Jet? Droy? What are you doing here? Weren't you going for a job with Levy a few hours ago?"

"What? She didn't - we didn't see her at all today!"

The first thing that came to his mind was _fuck no._

Despite himself, the Iron Dragonslayer made his way to the bar, towering over them with the most pissed-off face with a tint of worry. Jet and Droy recoiled slightly, while Mirajane was still as confused as ever.

"What's her job?" he snarled, slamming a hand down onto the table but she was unfazed. Instead, she blinked, frowning.

"Hunt down and capture a dangerous mage who was on the loose," she murmured.

He threw a sharp glance at the flyer in the bartender's hands, his eyes landing on the price of the payment. It was prertty darn high, and obviously that meant the criminals were pretty tough. They had to be. Heck, they were mages.

"Where?"

"Forest in the west of the closest town to Magnolia, but-"

"The smartass," Gajeel growled, cutting her off and turning away, running out the the guild doors before Jet and Droy could do anything else. As much as they protested soon after, though, the Master refused to let them go after him after hearing their conversation from the second floor.

"We'll see what he does," the small Master simply stated, earning a look of disbelief. He smiled, regardless.

"Afterall, he cares for her."

* * *

Man, he'd never been so pissed and worried for _anyone _ever before, and Metalicana doesn't count because this was completely different.

The dragonslayer ran through the neighbouring town, after having taken the train as soon as he got to the station. _West, west, _he kept reminding himself, heading to the dark forest despite it being daytime, and he cursed under his breath when he couldn't quite catch her scent. The area smelt... strange, a smell that he didn't like at all, and it was one of the times he wished he had normal senses.

But how grateful he was when his ears picked up a faint scream. It was distant, pretty far-out, but nonetheless he ran towards the sound, getting closer and closer, his heart beating faster and faster, because damn it, he didn't want to think that the worst had happened.

And as he ran, he started to get more and more pissed-off, wondering just why the _fuck _was she out here all alone, carrying out a request that could have fucking _killed _her because hell, she was so _small_-

He came to a clearing, halting to a stop when he saw three men lying on the ground completely beat and lifeless. They were bloody at parts, shirt in tatters - and a few feet away, he saw her.

The bluenette panted, wearing the most furious and proud face she'd ever had on, and all be damned if that didn't actually turned him on by the slightest bit. She was shaking noticeably, blood running down over her closed left eye from her forehead, her clothes torn here and there.

Her knees gave out under her, exhausted to the bone, and in a split second he was there, holding her small body in his arms.

"Wha... Who.. Who's t-there?" Her small voice shook, no higher than a whisper.

"It's me, Shrimp," he murmured.

"G-Gajeel? What are you-"

"Came to check on your ass, you crazy midget."

"Ah," Levy mumbled, her eyelids drooping as her breathing got quieter.

Gajeel slapped her face lightly, making sure she was still with him. "Oi! Don't back out on me-"

"Nahhh..." she breathed, waving a weak hand before it limply fell on top of his. She let out a long, draggy sigh before her eyes closed shut to his complete horror.

Right as a string of curses rolled off his tongue, she grinned up at him warmly, her half-lidded eyes tired."Gotcha-"

And before she realized it, he pulled her straight to his being in an embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck. She felt his forehead creasing deeply, his hands wrapping around her small frame as she could barely lift her arms to wind them around his neck to support herself.

"What the fucking fuck were you _thinking_?!" he snarled into her neck, his voice low and angry. "Why the hell were you going alone, for fuck's sake!"

"I-" she winced when her head throbbed painfully. "I... I wanted to prove I wasn't weak."

"The hell, Shrimp?! Who said you were weak?"

"You, a couple of times," she muttered, leaning against him limply. He pursed his lips. "Then there's Jet and Droy, although it's indirect, and some others... And I just wanted to prove all of you wrong."

Man, she was right. And the fact that he'd been thinking of it just mere minutes ago about how she could have been killed hit a nail on the head. Wasn't he an ironic little bastard, he thought, pulling her yet closer. How tired she must have been to hear the same things agaon and again... Of course she'd do something like this sooner or later...

"And I did it!" He pulled back to look at her, and she had the biggest grin on her face, her pretty tired, beat-up face, but the grin brighter and warmer than ever. "I did it! All by myself!"

"And I'm proud," Gajeel smirked, loosening his hold as he gently put her down beside him, a protective arm remaining around her waist, just in case she fell again. "And so is everyone else and your two fanboys, but I'm pretty sure they're mad at you."

"Ah," she waved it off dismissively, sighing. "Can't care. Too tired. Too proud."

"But don't fucking do that ever again, Shorty," he growled, scowling down at her. "Bring your two dogs next time."

"Don't call them dogs, you jerk. And wow, I didn't know you cared."

A warmth crept up to his cheeks as he opened his mouth to fire back, only to come out with nothing, and closed it once more. He grumbled something incoherent under his breath as he turned his head away, earning a small giggle from the maiden.

As he helped her up slowly, he muttered under his breath, "Always will, idiot" and hoped with all his might that she didn't hear it.

And well, that was Gajeel.

Then there was Levy. If it was even possible, she'd show just how caring she was twenty-four seven, three sixty-five. Pretty much like Wendy. But regardless, it was a given - people like her just couldn't help it.

Need I even say much about her? The thing was, though, that she had a special little part of her heart for a certain metal-headed dragonslayer, so she was all the more caring for him. Every brawl, every battle - she'd always be there for the bastard. Not that he'd mind.

Came the day of a tragic fight between an unexpected visitor and Fairy Tail. Everyone was hurt, hurt, hurt - sure, everyone survived. Barely. They won, of course, like they always did. To lose was not an option on _their _list.

She was hurt too, despite being hidden away with some others, their role being to decode an important message that could have costed millions. Falling into the wrong hands would be unforgivable, so they had to decipher the will of the one who'd handed down the request. And then they were found, right after they solved it.

But they won. Well, duh. So the first thing she did was run out onto the battlefield, where everyone were groaning and some yelling their victory, and it was all she could do to run over to _Gajeel _first, because he'd been the main one on her mind.

She found him, a bloody and beaten up mess, but she could feel his pride shining as she bent down by his side.

"Gajeel," her small voice called.

He stirred, groaning, slapping a rough hand to his forehead as he mumbled under his breath. He cracked open a scarlet eye, focusing on the small bluenette. And true to character, a proud smirk broke out on his face. "Yo, Shrimp."

"Idiot," she smiled softly, pulling his head onto her lap. She couldn't care less what he thought of the gesture. He couldn't, either.

"You hurt?"

"You're one to talk; you're a mess."

"Who cares? I fucking beat the shit out of that bastard."

"I care."

Gajeel blinked, staring at her incredulously. His slightly parted lips pulled up into a full fanged grin.

"Ohhhh, you care too!" He reached up to pat her head, and tangled his fingers into her blue locks, messing them up once more. "What a fucking pleasant surprise."

"You should shut up now," she grumbled, pouting down at him, a light tinge of pink dusting her cheeks.

Before anything else, he'd pulled her down and their lips met, an unexpected move to her being. It was short, it was small, it was sweet, and damn it all if it didn't make either of their stomachs flip. She tried to pull away after a while, but he growled against her lips, tugging her closer instead, for just a minute more.

He pulled away then, leaving her blushing madly in his wake. "What the h-"

"Oh, you're cursing now!" he pointed out happily, ruffling her hair once more. "I'm proud."

"Shut up!"

And as he pulled her in for another chaste kiss, he mumbled, "Just a small thanks for caring."

After those two incidents happening, those two grew closer than ever, and none of them could be more thankful to have the other. Though, in Gajeel's eyes, thinking mushy stuff like that just made him a pansy, but then, he thought, ah fuck it - the shrimp was worth it all.

Levy's life was officially made when she found out that he cared, for _her_, and the kisses sent her heart full of joy all the way to heaven. How could she be happier? Gajeel Redfox, the one who barely gave a shit for anyone, cared for her. He _cares_. Surely that was something to cherish forever. Or celebrate for a week straight. Bless everything, she'd sigh, everytime she was reminded of him.

And God help the dumbasses who still thought they didn't care for each other, just because they weren't the same in any particular way.

Because afterall, opposites attract, right?

* * *

Yeah. Sorry. Rushed this tons - especially the ending, clearly, sorry for such an abrupt cut-off - because I thought I'd post something up before I left for my three-day holiday. It sucks, we all know. Though I hope you'd review.

Speaking of which, I really admire those who put up a one-shot and get like 20+ reviews. NOT THAT IM SAYING ANYTHING, I SWEAR, it just makes me think how far back I am. Kudos to them for being the awesome people they are :)

Yeah that was really sudden and random, coming out of nowhere, and I can bet that some people after reading that would think 'hah all you want is more reviews'. Honestly, okay. I'm actually pretty amazed because I've come across a lot of oneshots with many reviews, and they deserve it. It just came to mind this morning. But if you take it the wrong way, so be it. Believe what you want.

Yeah. I'm in a slightly foul mood at the moment. Ha. Sigh

PS - Corrose and Miss Mungoe deserve a standing ovation, because hell, they're just fucking awesome.


	5. Afraid

**_Afraid_**

Levy wasn't afraid of him.

She wasn't afraid of the man who had multiple iron piercings around his big, tough body. She wasn't afraid of how he looked like, with long, spiky black hair that reached his waist, his rather dark clothing, his rusty red eyes that made you flinch when he glared. She wasn't afraid when she spotted him grinding his teeth on scraps of metal - nor was she afraid of him yelling at people or how deep his voice was, or picking up fights and arguments, or his daily use of profanity.

Nah, Levy honestly wasn't afraid of Gajeel.

Because how could she be afraid of someone who was part of her Fairy Tail family? Someone who had protected her from time to time? Someone who people turned to and trusted to help carry out a big mission? Someone who had a secret soft side?

How in the world could she be afraid of someone who lived with a _cat_?

Those two had grown closer than ever over time, bit by bit. And of course, like many others, surely one would start to fall for the other, or maybe both at the same time. Then perhaps - blame the overthinking - many would think, _the bookworm and the dragonslayer? What? That won't work. _What do they know, though? Opposites attract more than anything, no?

But the problem was, putting all the unneccessary opinions of people aside, how afraid she was. Not of him, no; but rather, she was afraid if he wouldn't return the feelings she had for him that nobody quite knew of. It didn't come immediately, but gradually over passing time, slowly yet surely. And how the thought bothered her, because to think that someone like Gajeel would ever love someone - what more return her feelings - it would be completely unexpected.

But hey, anyone can love and receive it, right?

Regardless, Levy was afraid to admit her feelings about him to anyone. Paranoid, because perhaps they'd think, _"Him? Of all people, you chose him?" _Worried, that maybe she'd get rejected and embarrass herself. Terrified, because maybe her feelings would be played with. And she couldn't really do anything about any of it.

He wasn't any much different.

The words 'Gajeel' and 'afraid' never went well together. That would just be plain weird because if _he _was afraid of something in general, then that meant there was something wrong with the world because damn, he wasn't such a pansy.

Nah. Gajeel wasn't afraid of getting scars, picking fights with big people, or dying in battle. It's hard to list anything else because man, just what exactly could he be afraid of? Maybe something like losing Pantherlily, but that's different. Or Master Makarov... Nah - on Master's terms, it was more like everyone knew not to fool around with him much.

One thing's for sure though. What he _was _scared of, was falling _in _love.

Gajeel had this slight mindset that love made people weaker and more vulnerable. But when you're in a guild like Fairy Tail, that's just not true, but he kept his ground. He was afraid that it would distract him during the most critical times. Afraid that he'd grow into a wimp, a big softie, and ruin his 'tough-badass' reputation. Afterall, he was widely known as _the _brutal Iron Dragonslayer.

There was more. It wasn't like him to love and be loved - all the affection he'd ever gotten was from Metalicana, and he was never shown anything more than friendship. Sometimes he had those moments where he'd think, _man, just who the fuck wants to love me? _And then he'd shrug it off and carry on whatever he was doing.

But that didn't stop him from occasionally stealing glances at a certain blue-haired bookworm. Sometimes he found himself watching her and taking in every little detail; how her brows pulled together in concentration as she read, how her fingers played with the corner of the page before she turned to the next, how her lips would pull up into a bright, cheerful smile...

And then he would turn away and scold himself, like every other time, for he knew that he'd fallen for her - and damn, he'd fallen pretty hard.

It'd been bothering them both for a long while. Sometimes they had those moments where they'd _think _that the other returned the same feelings. Whatever the case, they still had yet to do anything about it, and none of them quite bothered to make the first move.

It happened one completely random day. The two had pretty much gotten tired of waiting, for themselves or the other they weren't quite sure, and _both _of them had finally decided to just get it all over with.

Levy gave out the biggest sigh anyone had ever heard and stood up, making her way to the bar where he was.

Gajeel had run a large hand through his hair before grunting silently, then turning around and got up to just spill it, and met face to face with the bluenette.

All she did was turn pink.

"Want something, Shrimp?"

And in that second, her entire confidence crumbled to the soles of her feet and she couldn't bring herself to say it. Anything. Her bravado disappeared with a snap of a finger and she stood there, nibbling on her lower lip nervously, fidgeting about in her spot. She was afraid to say them - those little words that meant so much. _Idiot idiot idiot, _she scolded herself mentally, puffing her cheeks out in a huff.

Meanwhile, Gajeel was running through the possible outcomes of when he'd say those three (absolutely so not-Gajeel) words, and none of them turned out too well. He'd never hear the end of it from Stripper and Salamander and despite that he'd love to screw their mouths shut, he wouldn't want them to hear him say it. It was too damn sissy for him.

Right as a groan slipped his lips, he scratched the back of his head, staring right at her. Now _he _was afraid of what might happen. As big and manly he was, Gajeel didn't like rejection much, thus the string of 'what ifs' that went through his mind.

And then he just sighed.

"Fuck it," he muttered, and dived in for a kiss.

And right before his lips crashed against hers, he swore he heard her say the words he'd never thought would be directed at him. And for it to come from _her_ just had to be a bonus.

A firm, muscular arm snaked around her tiny waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, and they swore they could hear the other's heart beating way too fast. It felt too much like a weight being lifted off their shoulders. Levy had a thousand butterflies invading her stomach while Gajeel had a bunch of Pantherlilys running around in his, screaming "I kneewwwww ittttt!"

But man, who cares. She said she loved him. He kissed her - which pretty much meant the same thing. Nothing but bliss.

It was cut short when sighs of relief broke out across the guild, and they pulled away quickly, scoffing, red-faced. And everyone just went like;

"_Finally_! God!"

"About time they got together."

"What took those two so long?"

"It's been a hundred years... Sheesh."

A look of confusion flickered across Levy's features before it finally hit her senses and she couldn't help but giggle, while Gajeel just groaned himself. He almost snapped at everyone to shut up when he felt a slender hand sliding into his, entwining their fingers together. He looked down at her.

She smiled brightly, still a bit flushed. "Got tired of being afraid, huh?"

And although he'd never admit he was, he gave her a wide grin, tugging at her hand at pulled her closer.

"You have no fuckin' idea."

And as he held their gaze, he couldn't help but think that maybe loving someone wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

Sorry. I'm just pretty tired these days. Sleep-deprived, I guess. Ah.


	6. Playful

_**Playful**_

For the upteenth time, Levy groaned.

"Gajeel!"

A razor-fanged smirk. "What?"

"Stop that," she grumbled, throwing him a sharp look as she reached back to rub her scalp at the spot where the stinging sensation lingered. She leaned away and ducked her head quickly when she saw his arm moving slightly, pouting up at the very cruel man.

"Stop what?"

She felt the pull tugging her whole head back again, and she whined, grabbing a fistful of her hair, trying to keep them away from the hands of the Iron Dragonslayer beside her.

"_That_!" Levy scooted away, earning a growl from him, but he followed suit until their sides touched, much to her slight annoyance. He threw an arm behind the seat once again.

"I didn't do shit."

"Quit pulling my hair!"

"_Me_? Pull your hair? Why would I?"

"You suck at lying, Gajeel Redfox," Levy groaned, trying to get back to her book, but that was clearly not appreaciated by the man whom she so loved. He was unbelievably clingy that day, not to mention playful, but somehow she liked it. It wasn't all the time that Gajeel liked to mess around with her afterall, other than his daily banters.

"Only when I want to," he raised an eyebrow.

A finger on her head winded itself around a lock of her blue hair, tugging gently, but still earning a sigh from the small mage. She gave up, flipping him off when he ruffled her hair, and proceeded to ignore him completely as she continued to read.

He scowled at that, and ran his hand through her mass blue hair again and again, but when Levy didn't turn he poked the side of her head. She didn't even flinch. Gajeel groaned, before tipping his head back to stare at the very interesting high ceiling of the guild, his hand still ruffling her blue locks. His eyes scanned around the guild lazily, nearly yawning at everything he saw because he was so fucking bored and everyday was just another normal day of the same damn thing.

His red eyes darted down to the small bluenette beside him, reading away happily. A smug smile formed on his lips as he brought his hand downwards to her forehead, before dragging it down her face, earning a very painful smack right across his own from the Shrimp. She swatted his rough hand away.

"The hell was that for, Shrimp?!"

The glare she gave him sent a chill down his spine. "Do not. Disturb. My. Reading." On that note, she turned back to her book.

Gajeel grumbled something incoherent under his breath, clearly disliking the lack of attention from her. From anyone, actually. Lily had been missing the entire day, Salamander and Stripper haven't picked a fight yet and now a book got more attention than he did from his own girl. He scowled deeply, folding his arms across his chest, letting his eyes roam over the bookworm once more. When his scarlet gaze rested upon the headband holding back her wild hair, he sneered.

A hand reached up silently behind her head, and in a split second, he pulled out the knot and yanked the headband away. Before Levy could even snap at him, he went to place the material over her eyes and tied it at the back of her head not too tightly. He held her flailing hands with one of his own, and leaned down to her ear.

"Gajeel! What-"

"Let's play a game, Shrimp," his husky voice murmured, a mischievous tone to it, sending a small shiver across her body. Gajeel smirked. "It's called 'Find the Iron Dragonslayer'."

"That's stupid," Levy muttered, and tried to reach up to pull out her headband, but his hold on her wrists was strong and firm.

Gajeel clicked his tongue. "Nope, if you try to take it off - or cheat - you're not getting your precious book yet." With his other hand, he reached over her to lift the book off the table, and threw it back down with a loud smack. Levy whined.

"Noooo! That's an important book!"

"Exactly why you'll need to find me to get it." He silently pushed the book off the table, and it fell to the bench with a soft thud, but still not loud enough to reach her ears. "Ready?"

"Gajeel!"

"Begin."

The dragonslayer leaned back and got off the bench, folding his arms as he watched his little bookworm reach her hands around with a clear pout. He smirked even wider when she began to stand, cautiously taking slow steps forward.

"Damn it, Gajeel! You're gonna get it from me later!" she growled, effectively earning a few heads turning their way.

"Can't fucking wait," Gajeel said loudly, causing her to turn in his direction, and walked towards him slowly.

At this point, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as Levy flailed her arms around, looking thoroughly pissed, and a very knowing and smirking Gajeel. Some of them caught the gist of it as Gajeel took a step back everytime Levy walked closer, while others just stood around with raised eyebrows.

"Gihii, can you hear me, Shrimp?" he yelled - although he was five feet away.

"Shut up!"

A few chuckles and laughs broke out across the room.

"Oi, Shrimp, over here," Natsu called out, mimicking Gajeel's deep voice, but the Iron Dragonslayer didn't bother to give him a good whacking on it. Afterall, he felt like playing around. The more the better, right?

"No no Shorty, here," Gray did the same, standing behind her.

"You guys are idiots," Levy muttered, taking a few confident steps forward. "Quit teasing me!"

Gajeel could barely hold himself back. "Yeah, you nutheads, that's my job."

"There!" And then Levy was running straight in his direction, to which Gajeel had a second to dodge her, a fanged smirk playing on his lips as he ran around behind her. He had to bite down on his tongue so as not to laugh out loud because the midget had flung herself right into Erza's chest - her metal-hard chest - and stumbled backwards, rubbing her forehead. The guild burst out laughing.

"Oh my," Lucy giggled, watching as her best friend pouted.

Upon hearing her voice, Levy turned around in that direction. "Lu-chan! Aw, come on, help me out?"

"Sorry, Levy-chan, can't butt in into a couple's matters," Lucy snickered. "That would be rude."

"Aw, Lu-chan!"

Ten minutes passed and Levy was still walking around aimlessly for a certain dragonslayer who was still smirking. Only now, he didn't say a word. But the guild sure did.

"Levy! He's to your right! Your right!"

"No! He's behind you! Do a backflip!"

"Ohh, Gajeel! Leaving already?"

"Hahahahaha!"

"The hell are you doing on the ceiling, Gajeel? Get your ass down from there!"

"Oi, Gajeel! Give your girl a kiss or something! She's really pissed."

Levy was full-on blushing then and she _swore _on the whole world that when she got her hands on that little _asshole -_

"Oi Shrimp! Come and find me; gettin' real tired over here."

Her head whipped around to where his voice came from - and Gajeel was just there, sitting at the bar, sipping on his drink casually with a grinning Mirajane and Cana beside him. He had his fun, but it was getting late in the afternoon, and he wanted to get the fuck home for some sleep.

Levy grumbled under her breath as she walked her way over to him as if knowingly, until she was less than a foot away, stepping in right between his legs, but he didn't make a move to run away. Her hands came to rest on his firm shoulders and she raised her eyebrows, before she leaned back and reached back to yank off her headband. Her hair fell everywhere as she stared right into the eyes of the dragonslayer.

Gajeel smirked widely as the guild applauded and cheered. "Congratulations, Shrimp! Your prize is-"

But Levy was totally _not _in the mood. "Give me my book. Now."

Gajeel blinked. "U-Uh, it's on the bench-"

And then she was walking away silently, her chin high and mighty as she went to retrieve her book, a tinge of red on her cheeks as the guild continued to laugh. Without looking back or another word, Levy walked right out the guild doors and was gone.

For some reason, the dragonslayer found himself staring after her.

"That was cute and all," a voice spoke up from beside him, and he turned to find the barmaid with a small smile, "but I think she's not so happy about it. Maybe you should go cheer her up."

He was up and jogging slightly after her, cursing himself slightly under his breath. She didn't get too far; just up the street to wherever she was heading. He caught up and fell. In step beside her, but she took no notice.

"Hey," he smirked.

She didn't say anything.

"Shrimp?"

"It's 'Levy', stop calling me that and go away!" she snapped, puffing her cheeks out as she held her book closer to her being.

But Gajeel still had a bit of tease in himself. "Fine, take your pick - Shorty, Shortstuff, Bookworm, Midget -"

"It's not funny!"

Gajeel could only snicker as he ruffled her hair, noticing the headband back in place. But she threw him a look and moved away, leaving him growling.

"Oi! What-"

"That wasn't funny, Gajeel!"

She whirled around and glared at him, her brown eyes blazing and furious. And for the first time, he was taken aback. "You can pull my hair, you can steal my book, you can disturb my reading - but making a fool out of me in front of everyone else isn't funny!"

Gajeel stayed silent, watching as she tried to calm herself down. He scratched the back of his head, looking away, a smug look tainting his features. "Sorry."

"Just- just shut up," Levy muttered, sighing, before turning on her heel and continued to walk away from him.

But a hand yanking her elbow back had her halting in her tracks, and she turned - only to have a pair of lips crashing against hers, and a strong arm snaking around her waist. She returned the gesture almost immediately, her frustration long forgotten, because to her, the kisses _he _gave that came out of nowhere absolutely unexpectedly were, in fact, the best. She reached up to gently grasp his jaw and turned his head slightly to slant her mouth on his, cherishing the moment as he leaned in to deepen the kiss.

After a while they broke apart, huffing slightly, and Gajeel leaned his forehead on hers. "Sorry, Shrimp."

Cheeks red and lips flushed, Levy could only smile. "Okay."

"Good."

The next thing she knew, her book was snatched out of her arms and he was running away, waving the object with a sneer, teasing her as she could only gape at him. It took her a minute before she took off after him, sometimes catching up but not being able to snatch back her book, what with Gajeel holding it up in the air, way out of her reach.

The sun rested behind mountains and hills far in the horizon, casting an orangey hue over Magnolia. Shadows began to stretch and dance along as the strangely perfect pair continued to run down the streets, smiles - and fanged smirks - lighting up their features, never tired of the other, never able to stay mad at each other for so long because hey, doesn't love conquer everything?

And maybe a playful Gajeel isn't _that _bad, Levy concluded. Better than a Gajeel throwing around punches and pulling her hair with no mercy.

Yeah - totally _way_ better.

* * *

What a weird ending. And maybe I should have let them played around longer. Meh. Oh and my eyes got on fire halfway through, sorry.

My end-of-the-year gift for anyone who drops by this... messed-up collection of GaLe one-shots! I know it's not up to standard, and maybe my sense of humor is just, well, what the hell, but man really, even though it's been less than a month - the hell - I just thought I'd end off the year with a little drabble. And thank you for the reviews, I'm grateful and all you reviewers are really sexy. Especially the ones who've stuck with this pile of wtf since it started :') you know who you are!

And maybe I'll start the new year with another one, who knows?

Anyway, **Happy New Year**('s Eve)**! :D**


	7. Peaceful

**A/N:** yes lamoco13, you're pretty darn sexy.

* * *

_**Peaceful**_

A dragon could be violent.

Menacing.

Big.

Mean.

Impatient.

_Only _when you make them that way. Well, that depends. Some of them are just brought up to be bad-tempered little reptiles who could skin you alive for the fun of it or for the sake of boredom.

But people often forget and miss out little things, forget that even animals have feelings too. Just because their brains were small and, well, you know, that didn't mean they couldn't feel the things we felt.

Like how a dragon could be sorrowful.

Sad.

Heartbroken.

Brave.

Happy.

In love.

Peaceful.

And a dragonslayer wasn't that much different, right?

So the sight of a dragonslayer - an _iron _dragonslayer, specifically - with his strong, muscular arms around a small, little bookworm would have melted anyone's heart and made them all fuzzy inside. A dragonslayer, holding something so very dear to him, promising arms that would keep her safe, a rusty heart that would treat her right.

On days when fights didn't matter, even for the fun of the moment; when tables weren't turned and the guild was still standing; when jobs and flyers hung on the request board untouched; when Team Natsu were just hanging out with no stripping, no fire outbreaks, simply having a laugh together and treasuring that moment... Those were the days when the world felt at peace, and there was barely a worry in the air. The calm days that rarely came by for all to cherish.

And on those days, the infamous Iron Dragonslayer who was feared by many, who had iron piercings across his body, who had eyes that stared through your soul if looks could kill; he'd take a 'break' from his usual bickering and brawls to spend a moment with her, the little blue-haired maiden whom he had unconditionally fallen in love with. Because she was now his, afterall, and dragons never let go of the things they held on dearly to easily.

They were often found in either his or her apartment on these days, perching atop the bed, but barely doing anything intimate. The bookworm in his lap, reading a book with an angelic smile, with his arms around her, his face buried in her sky-blue hair. Stealing kisses now and then, a moment of banter and teasing or two, small talk of anything that came to mind, or simply comfortable silence that filled the room. That was enough for them, more than enough.

And they'd pick that over anything else, for there was nothing better than to spend a peaceful day with a loved one.

And people thought dragons were never anywhere near peaceful - Gajeel too, so to speak.

About time they were proved wrong.

* * *

School has started and the mere first week is giving me a splitting headache and barely any time to brainstorm ideas worth your time reading. Just a really short drabble because I was being all mellow for a moment.

**Also, I'm changing my username soon. **So if you're looking for this 'story', search it up :)

PS - idk, I'm just assuming the part about dragons being peaceful _at some point _because a peaceful Gajeel is a pretty adorable Gajeel. I guess.


	8. Curious

**A/N: First ever AU. The high school phase. Enjoy?**

* * *

_**C**__**urious**_

They say that curiosity killed the cat. That wasn't really the case for our dear Levy; and if anything, the results of her curiosity might likely be the reason why she seemed to be satisfied with her current life.

Levy and Gajeel. The two complete opposites in high school. The pair which almost everyone had deemed to be _the_ strangely perfect two - like in movies. You couldn't really blame the people, they were of _that _age where 'shipping' two people together had become some sort of daily routine. That, or they had way too much free time.

The strange thing was that the two had never really talked before. Maybe occasional 'coincidental' glances, a greeting or two, moments when the teacher paired them together because obviously, even they were in on it. And since then, the people around them started to go like "Wow, they seem to go so perfect together", or "Holy shit, they look like they were made for each other!"

Levy and Gajeel weren't exactly friends, either - the most ironic thing of the 'shipping'. They were more like two people who interacted with the other only when they needed to. Regardless, no one cared about that fact - if they're happy about it, there was no stopping them.

What made the entire school want to scream their living souls to death was that one, particular day - and pretty much the rest of the days that followed by.

The last bell had finally rung after a thousand years. Students were pushing and yelling in the hallways, trying to make a run for the gates, to get anywhere away from the building, and there was so much chaos you'd probably take it as war. Of course there were still a number in school, waiting for the hallways to clear. Those are the better kind of people, mind you.

And Levy was one of them. She'd planned to take a short trip to the school library, taking the route by the classes. She sauntered down the corridors, humming to herself, and when she passed by the backdoor of her classroom, she glanced inside and had to do a double take because of the one guy she had least expected to see in the room, all alone.

The sight of a particular dark-haired boy sitting at the back by the window, hunched over the desk that seemed too small for his body frame, made her tilt her head to the side in confusion. For a person like him, honestly, he seemed way too focused on whatever he was doing, and curiosity began to spark.

Despite herself, Levy began to tiptoe silently up behind him, not quite sure why she was doing so because she could have walked in and just greeted him or something. Now she just seemed like as if she was going to pounce on him, and she barely knew him, and perhaps he'd take her as some kind of weirdo that had nothing better to do-

Levy paused. _Overthinking can be so annoying, _she sighed mentally, rubbing her temples.

"You coulda just walked in like any normal person would, Twinkle-Toes."

The comment made her look up, and he was looking her over with amused, scarlet eyes and a small smirk. The young maiden blushed furiously, bowing immediately.

"A-Ah! Sorry! I just- I... I thought-"

"Hm," was all he replied, before he shrugged and turned back to his desk.

Levy sighed, before straightening and coughed into her hand. She took small, tentative steps forward, her curiosity still winning her over, and in half a second she was behind him, peeking over his shoulder.

"Need somethin'?"

She shook her head. "Nah, just curious - what are you doing? All alone in class, too."

No, they didn't talk much, but hey, that didn't mean they couldn't talk among themselves for a day, right?

"History," he muttered, resting his head in a hand. "Don't understand shit, and Makarov's got me staying behind to catch up or something."

"History? That's easy."

Gajeel glanced back to scowl at her. "Everyone knows you're fucking smart, Shrimp."

She was slightly taken aback by the nickname, but didn't comment on it. "Darn right I am - want some help?"

"N-"

"Okay, I'll help," she grinned, pulling a chair up to his side, ignoring his growl. He pouted, folding his arms across his chest like a spoilt brat. "What?"

"You're making me look like I'm dumber than I already am," he sulked.

"You're not dumb," Levy said quietly, catching his gaze, a tinge on her cheeks. "You just need a bit of help and understanding, that's all. Nothing a bit of elbow grease wouldn't do."

Her gentle, soft tone, granted for her kind personality, had him staring at her. That fact that she wasn't even wary of him made him ponder. He wasn't bad - Gajeel wasn't like those bullies or jocks who went around thinking they were the bigshots. He liked to cuss and hardcore-tease his friends though - like that Gray dude, randomly calling him a Stripper. And occasionally trying to pick fights with Natsu. 'Friendly', dumb fights. And he could be mellow, if he wanted to. People just regarded him as someone bad from his appearance.

And the small, petite girl beside him, who was the first ever to actually see him as his actual self, had somehow sparked his attention. That was definitely saying something, considering the fact that Gajeel was barely interested in anyone, let alone pay attention in class.

Curious, he watched silently as his blue-haired classmate picked up the notes gingerly, her brown eyes scanning through the papers. "The hell are you still doing in school, anyway?"

"I like going to the library after school," she said without looking up. "Besides, I won't survive the hallways after the last bell, you know."

He smirked at that, acknowledging her statement. "Damn right - you're fuckin' small. You'd probably get squashed like a puny bug."

"_Thank _you for the compliment," Levy grumbled, rolling her eyes, holding a hand out. It took him five seconds to realize she was asking for a pen, and he cursed himself silently for thinking of something else.

Gajeel watched her write in gentle, light strokes, not quite paying attention to exactly what she was writing. He found his lips moving on their own will, still curious. "Why are you helping me?"

"What, can't I help a friend?"

"Sure we were friends before this, Shorty?"

"_'Shorty'_?" Levy puffed her cheeks out, her eyebrows furrowing together in a frown. "Nicknames are very much not appreciated, Gajeel."

He grinned, clearly loving teasing the girl. And the way his name rolled off her tongue. _Wait, fuck. _"Sorry, blame your size. Couldn't help it."

"Like your nicknames don't show it enough."

"Aw, a little mad, are we?"

"Do you want to ace this or not?"

That kept his mouth shut - for two minutes. After a while of more of her writing, his fingers twitched, and he ran them through his dark hair. Gajeel turned his gaze to the window, raising an eyebrow at the change of weather, and watched, as if in contemplation, at the raindrops on the glass that were racing each other.

"Oi, Midget, it's raining."

Her eyebrow twitched. "Yes, I've noticed, Slowpoke."

His attention went back to her, eyes wide. "Oh, haven't you gotten brave in the two minutes, Shortstuff."

"Nah, you just haven't been paying attention, douche."

His jaw dropped open as he stared at her. "Did you just-"

She threw a sneer at him, throwing him off-guard, earning a shake of his head. "Wow. O-kay."

Comfortable silence fell in between, and Levy was about to find him bearable when his mouth opened again, a small "Bookworm" passing his lips.

"Okay, I think I'm done here," she muttered, almost throwing the pen to the table and pushed herself up.

As her chair dragged across the floor, Gajeel pursed his lips before he found himself grabbing her wrist and pulling her back. She glanced over her shoulder, a pout on her features, slightly annoyed.

"Where're you going?"

"Home, because this _Bookworm _is done."

He tried not to laugh. "Look, I'm sorry - you're just taking really long and I got bored."

"Gajeel, it's been _ten minutes _since I stepped in the room!"

Said person simply shrugged, letting her wrist go. "Anyway, it's raining, so... Don't go yet."

He almost yelled at himself for how corny his last statement sounded, and almost groaned when she smiled softly at him, taking her seat once again beside him.

"Fine - _only _until the rain stops," she said, already scooting closer. He bit back a smile.

Over the next two hours, Levy spent her time in the classroom, helping Gajeel out with History, explaining to him slowly and simply, always patient with the boy when he sometimes kept silent when she asked a question. He soon followed her words, finally letting the information and knowledge sinking in, and he found out that History was actually pretty darn easy. Small banter slipped in every few minutes, but she really couldn't care anymore.

Best part was, the rain had stopped an hour and a half ago.

"That's it - you're done," she smiled, getting to her feet, slightly stretching.

"What?"

"You're done - you've covered the whole three chapters," she beamed, returning the chair back to its original table.

Gajeel stared at her blankly before he scoffed, getting up to his full height too, cracking his neck. A grin plastered onto his face. "_Sweeeet. _Credits to you though, Shrimp."

"Nah, the chapters are actually really easy - _you _just need to listen more in class."

He waved a dismissive hand before stuffing the notes into his bag, walking with her as they left the classroom. They were oblivious to a pair of schoolmates who walked by the end of the corridor, who both stopped in their tracks, their jaws on the floor as they watched the pair.

They stopped at the other end, when Levy turned to him brightly. "Well then, see you tomorrow, I guess!"

"Wait-" That had her stopping, and he was scratching his neck, looking away from her as his cheeks tinged ever so slightly. Curious, she prodded his shoulder with a finger.

"What?"

"I... need help with math."

Levy blinked, her own cheeks flushing slightly before she laughed lightly. "Okay - tomorrow after school?"

"Tomorrow after school," he grinned, reaching a hand up to ruffle her blue hair, earning a whine and a pout.

As she walked away after his small thanks, he pumped a fist into the air.

Days passed, and rumours were starting to go around, spreading like wildfire. Levy and Gajeel had been staying back together every day, alone in class, and the more people got to know about it, the more they were caught outside the class, peeking in through the doors, their curiosity getting the better of them. Gajeel spotted them ten times and almost yelled at them, but they scampered away in a flash, only to return again.

As for those two, Gajeel pretty much realized he'd been falling over his head for the Shrimp, and one day during his 'private' English lesson with her, actually being 'romantic' for once in his life, he wrote on a clear piece of paper those three little words, saying to her in an 'innocent', confused tone, "Like this?" And then Levy pretty much shrieked and squealed and the like and that was how they got together.

The crowd outside the class right at that moment practically screamed and cheered, and confetti was everywhere and the pair just went blank and flushed in the face, but nevertheless happy. Rumors didn't spread anymore - it was a fact, and everyone had a hard time trying not to fangirl whenever they saw the couple anywhere together.

_Levy and Gajeel. The two complete opposites in high school. Now officially the most perfect pair._

Lesson learned? Curiosity doesn't always kill the cat.

* * *

A/N: Someone needs to teach me how to close a story ahaha. The ending is slightly rushed because I have to do my homework meh. Really stressed out, had a mental breakdown yesterday pfft.

Til the next chapter :)


	9. Mournful

_**Mournful**_

His studded brows pulled together as he ran a hand through his raven hair. Gajeel could only stare at the blank piece of paper in front of him, the hold on the frail, used quill tightening and loosen every few minutes.

He let out a long, dragged breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and watched as his fingers finally moved.

_Shrimp_

_Been a while, aint it? I think you'd be laughing your puny ass off when you read this letter, you little midget. When. Or if. Hell if I know which 's the right word. You'd tell me what to write, won't you? Being the smart one and all. And maybe you'd nag, and show me the right way to write this, but I don't mind._

A weary sigh.

_You should be prouda me, Shorty - I really suck at things like this and you know it - and I've got all the words spelled right so far. Right? I mean, look at all those astropethees. Astophree? Aposthee? Fuck, whatever. Not that I give a shit anyway. If you were here, you'd probably snatch the quill from me and write this down yourself and mail it... to yourself. Since you're sucha a weirdo._

A small grin tugged on the ends of his lips.

_Yep, you're definitely a weirdo. Like that time you told me how you wanted a book about dogs. The hell, Shorty? Dogs? Seriously? And you actually brought a book about em home. Man, you coulda brought home one about dragons; I'd actually might have considered reading for once. But then it was about dogs, so neverfuckingmind._

_All 's well over here. Guild's a mess as always. Scarlet bloody left a dent in my guitar, and I was this close to piercing her eyes, it aint even funny. Stripper walked right out the guild doors yesterday completely naked. And Salamander set fire to Bunny Girl's hair. Speaking of which, she said she misses you. A lot._

His eyes dimmed and the grin slowly pressed into a line.

_A fucking lot, actually. We all do. It's not the same without ya here. I know I'm being corny and whatfucknot but who cares? It's to you, this letter - I hope you read it ten times over and read somemore, Bookworm. Fucking hopes. Everyone's been bawling their eyes out the first two weeks you were gone. Wimps, all of them. _His anger bubbled and his handwriting became hard, sharp strokes. _But I'm the biggest wimp here. I'm the fucking loser. Because you're gone and it's all my fault._

_I should have fucking went after you that day. I'm still pissed off because of the fact that you ran off by yourself and I didn't fucking follow you. I shoulda fucking known you'd_

His fingers paused and he shut his eyes, gritting his teeth and jaw clenched. His hand trembled, the feathers of the quill swaying gently. Gajeel bit down hard on his lip as he slid his eyes open once more and ran a rough stroke over the previous word.

_something would happen. And being the smart ass I am, I thought you'd be all a-fuckin-okay because Shrimp, you're pretty darn strong. Still don't understand why Speedy and Fatso didn't bother tagging along with you, wherever you were going. But who the fuck am I to say that, eh? Isn't it my fault that I didn't take the blade? Tell me._

_Tell me I'm the reason you're gone, Shrimp. Scream at me, hate me, slap me, kill me. Fuck, I'm an idiot. Guess what? I went to bed crying the first week. Fucking. Crying. Guess I'm a wimp, huh? But you were gone. Worse, it's because of me. All me. And I'll be damned if aint cr_

His brows furrowed together as his throat choked silently. A certain small cat stepped into the room, not yet aware of his fellow partner who was on the edge of a mental breakdown.

"Oy, Gajeel, it's -"

"Get out," came his hoarse reply.

Lily wasn't surprised. He watched his friend, hunched over the small table that was once a place where a particular bluenette used to always read her books at. He wasn't surprised to see the quill in his large hand, nor the piece of paper in front of him.

Lily took a deep breath. "Gajeel, it's been a mon-"

"Get out, Lily," his dark voice shook, and the cat could hear from where he was, the dragonslayer's shallow breathing.

An uncomfortable feeling settled at the pits of his stomach like always. "Gajeel -"

"_GET THE __**FUCK **__OUT!_"

His yell echoed throughout the small apartment, the sadness and mourning of a lost one bouncing off the old, worn-out walls, painted a same, sad blue the colour of her hair. And how the dragonslayer loathed it now, because it always reminded him of her, which reminded him yet of how it was all his fault that she was gone.

And with a lump in his throat, Lily silently stepped out of the room.

Gajeel wasn't even holding back anymore. His forehead creased greatly and his brows ached from frowning, and his eyes - they couldn't hold back the trail of tears that flowed freely now. They flowed down his cheek, down his chin, his nose, his lips - and how he hated the feeling. His bodyframe shook violently, and he couldn't stop the chills down his spine; but nonetheless, the grip on the quill grew tighter.

_ying right at this moment. Because fuck, Shrimp, it's been a month since you're gone and I'm still not fucking over that fact. Because I'm the reason. And I can't take any of this anymore, I swear._

His other hand clenched into a fist and reached up to press against an eye, in vain hopes of stopping his tears which tainted his piece of paper, but hell if he cared now. His vision blurred and his breathing started to hitch as he continued to write with a trembling hand.

"I fucking _miss _you," his voice drawled out in a mere whisper as he wrote those words down. He felt his heart tear in two.

_I fucking miss you. I know I'm probably the world's biggest pansy but I can't fucking drop this. I still can't take the fact that you're gone, Shrimp. You left too soon. Just why did you have to fucking leave?! I didn't get to apologize for fuck's sake._

_I'm sorry. For everything. I'm fucking sorry, for never being there or being the guy you wanted. Just fucking forgive me, Shrimp._

_I love y_

And like every other time, his sentence was left hanging as his emotions raged within him and got the better of his being. His chair flung back against the opposite wall and he tore the paper in two, crushing it with his hands like he was pounding an enemy to a pulp. The paper was thrown to the bin, but bounced off the pile of every other unfinished letter he'd written, every word left unsaid.

And like every other time, he screamed into the piercing silence of the night, cursing the world, the tears, the letters, the blade.

And if he wanted to end it all and join her right then, wherever she was, he'd do it.

* * *

A/N: We-ell aint I being an ass over here.


	10. Understanding

_**Understanding**_

Many nights were spent lying in bed, staring at nothing but the ceiling and the cracks that criss-crossed the walls. Sometimes he'd turn to look out the only window of his room, eyes fixed on the looming trees outside but never really looking at them.

Because he kept thinking and thinking and thinking.

Maybe some people would crack a smirk or even laugh at the thought of it. Not entirely much of an insult to the dragonslayer - even being the hotheaded, impulsive guy he was, he knew that he was never one for words, or brains, or any of the like. But he sure as hell was falling for a shrimp who was all of those.

And he didn't understand it. He always reminded himself, from having to (forcefully) watch all those dumb romance films, that one can never really understand why they were in love. _'It comes naturally - you can't force it.'_

So he didn't think about it that much. If he loved her, then he loved her. Simple as that - not that he would start going around and yelling it out loud. In fact, no one else really did know about it, although many had placed a bet on the matter. But what he knew he couldn't shrug off, was the fact that the sky blue-haired Script Mage felt the same way for him. Well, _maybe _- she never really did say it herself. It was just the bits and pieces and hints he'd picked up over the time spent with her. Although he wasn't entirely sure if she even did have feelings for him in the first place, it was nice to imagine that such a thing _could_ happen to someone like him.

That didn't mean that the thought of it slightly made his stomach sink. He didn't understand _why. _Why was she acting so kindly towards him, why she was so _nice _and so damn _forgiving _that just thinking about it sometimes made his head hurt. Because for someone like him, who had done way too many things to not only the entire guild, but more importantly the little bookworm herself in such a way that his very actions were embedded into his mind. Carved itself into the walls that held his thoughts and may very well never erase itself from his memory.

He didn't understand why she forgave him, and even dared to come near him nowadays, what more care so much for him. She was the only one who paid so much attention to the dragonslayer, aside from Lily, and the more he thought about it in the dark hours of the night, the more he hated himself.

Because no matter what, Gajeel still thought that he just didn't deserve any of it. So he didn't understand.

And he wanted to know why.

* * *

His thoughts were still the reason why he couldn't fall asleep. Tonight, though, he'd decided to sit on the rooftop of the Guild, breathing in the cold, fresh air and the wondrous peace that the beautiful, quiet night could feed him with.

He was spending it with _her_, too. Even better.

They sat side-by-side, watching the town of Magnolia and the mountains that rested in the far distance. Sitting closely together, too - something that Gajeel thanked the cold night for. She had her small, delicate arms wrapped around her small, delicate legs, pulling them to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. He had his legs crossed, arms behind him for support, the left side of his body pressed against her right.

They hadn't talked, not yet, but the silence was nice.

He was the first to break it, though. "Oy, what time s'it?"

"One seventeen _ante meridian,_" she hummed, tapping her finger lightly on her elbow. She glanced at him with a coy smile. "Why, are you tired already?"

"Never before you are, Shrimp," he snickered, giving her a small shove.

Levy almost stumbled and fell to her side, hands flailing out to grab onto Gajeel's strong, firm arm, her small fingers barely closing around his elbow. He tried to stifle his laugh, failing miserably as she pulled herself back into a comfortable position and scowled up at him.

"Jerk!" Levy whined, returning the shove with one of her own with all the force of a kitten.

"Ah, ouch, that _hurt_, Shrimp. I think you broke a rib or two."

"You're such an ass sometimes, you know that?"

"All the time, yea, maybe. And was that an insult you said there?"

"Why?"

"Nothin'. Doesn't fit the kitty image ya have at all, y'know? Just sayin'."

"I'm not a kitten!"

"Fine, fine. How does 'hamster' sound?"

"Are you saying I'm weak, Gajeel?"

"Hey hey, quit jumpin' the guns, Shorty. Hamsters are all puny and squeaky and whatever-the-hell, but they're pretty dang powerful. Fangs could leave a mark or two."

She hid her sly smile behind a hand. "Talking from experience, tough guy?"

Gajeel burned a slight shade. "What? Hell no! I'm just _sayin' _-"

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Mr _I-Won't-Admit-Defeat_."

"Twinkle-Toes."

"Dragon Breath."

"Lost Blue Dwarf."

"Grouchy Gajeel of the West."

"Hamster."

"Rust Boy."

"Shrimp."

"Heavy Metal."

The roar of laughter that filled the night sky had the blue-haired mage giggling quietly to herself. Gajeel's loud laughter rumbled on for a little while and she could see small tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. When a flicker of light somewhere in a building not too far away caught their eyes and a grumpy, cranky man yelled out "Shut up, loser!", Gajeel's laugh died down to a chuckle as he wiped at his eyes.

"Funny, aren't I?" Levy said smugly.

"That was a once in a lifetime moment, Shrimp." His wide grin started to hurt his cheeks. "Don't get too proud."

"I have my moments."

From Dragonslayer to Solid Script magic, the town of Magnolia to their old, crazy guild, the sounds of their quiet voices were the only things that broke the stillness of the peaceful night. For a moment, Gajeel forgot about his restless nights and screaming thoughts and decided that nights like these didn't come by all the time, so the smart thing to do was to savor every minute of it.

That being said, as hard as he tried not to remember, somewhere in the middle of Levy's ramblings about Jet and Droy the irony of the situation came crashing down on him. His mind tuned out her voice into the background as the gears in his brain turned a tad faster.

He stole a sideways glance at the petite woman beside him. There she was, the object of his eternal frustrations at night, the reason he couldn't fall asleep. And there he was, not even _trying _to sleep, and spending what should have been his time sleeping with her instead. Now he didn't understand himself. He really, really didn't, but tonight, he didn't want to screw up that very moment with his own thoughts.

After a while of inner conflicts and dilemma and self-scoldings, he realized all of a sudden how quiet it was, and saw that she'd stopped talking altogether. Instead, with her cheek resting against her knees, she stared right back at him, a look of contemplation of some sort across his features.

Gajeel blinked. "What?"

"You've been staring at me for the past ten minutes; I think it's fair that I had my share."

The Dragonslayer grumbled something before looking out over the sleeping town, determined to break her gaze. She had a one of a kind stare, he'll give her that.

"What's wrong?" came the quiet question, and even though he'd braced himself for it and saw it coming, it still made him sigh all the same as he wondered if he should tell the truth or otherwise.

Gajeel decided against it. "Nothin'."

"Sure."

"All peachy, Shrimp."

"Talk to me."

He grimaced, folding his arms across his chest, the very image of stubborn and pride. He refused to look at her, or talk, or acknowledge the fact that she wanted to help; she really did. Levy would rather have him yelling obscenities that she wouldn't have cared for than moping around and sulking.

She scooted closer, trying to catch his eyes. "You know you can trust me, right?"

He grumbled again before sighing, his shoulders slumping and chin dropping. The wind howled, followed by the crack and boom of thunder as rainclouds started to shield the sky. The sounds seemed to drag on as all bitter truth and confused thoughts came out in a whisper that the wind carried away with it, brushing the pair's skins with icy fingers as it came and went. Although she had wrapped her arms around herself then, it wasn't to protect herself from the biting cold.

Gajeel still refused to meet her eyes, his head turned the other way as his scowl accompanied the hard set of his jaw. Levy blinked once, twice, her lips slightly apart and eyes wide. She didn't, couldn't, say anything as she stored this newfound information into her head. She swallowed.

"Gajeel..."

"Not. A. Word," he huffed. His shoulders felt a little lighter but the burden was still there.

The sky roared as the first signs of rain started to show. He swiftly got on his feet, wondering how his little friend was fending himself back at home, and held out a hand to her. "Gonna rain. Let's just head back and forget I ever said anything, alright?"

Sure, Levy took the hand alright, but she yanked him back down onto the roof with surprising strength. He landed on his backside, slightly ticked off and puzzled, but when small hands grabbed at his face and pulled him close, it turned to shock.

Her lips were soft, just as he thought it would be, and even then the kiss she'd attacked him with was filled with what he could sense was understanding and all those times she threw him confused looks when he simply shrugged when asked if all was okay. For a split second, just for a mere millisecond, he let her pull him out of his misery and held her for a while.

Then Levy pulled away, and stared into his eyes and through his soul with such fierce emotion that had his breath stuck in his throat.

She didn't say anything - didn't _have _to, because it all poured down on him during the kiss like how the rain started to pour down on them. Her sudden move and intense gaze spoke volumes, probably more than she could ever put words she'd ever wanted to say down into sentences.

And as her lip trembled, and he realized she was _crying _- as much as he knew she shouldn't be, when he was the fool in misery - three little words slipped out of her mouth and were the only things he heard through the growing rainstorm.

Then the answer to all his questions came running to him as he pulled her into an embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

She didn't say anything else. She didn't have to.

He finally understood.

* * *

Surprise, surprise. I think after months of not updating, I have no idea how to end it off with a proper ending. Is it vague, or stupid? I think both, yes hmm. Sorry for the disappearance. Hope it wasn't bad - bad like _ugh wtf is she writing _bad. Heh idk anymore. Till then :)


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